See which beautiful bikes brought home the hardware in Louisville

Each year, the North American Handmade Bicycle Show brings together a unique and talented assortment of frame builders and bike enthusiasts. Each handcrafted piece is a reflection of the builder’s skills and imagination. Some builders went above and beyond the rest and were recognized at the awards ceremony for their creativity, vision, and craftsmanship. Here is a run-down of some of this year’s winners.

Groovy Cycleworks – Best In Show

The NAHBS Best In Show Award went to Groovy Cycleworks for an imaginative and superbly executed mountain bike and surfboard carrier. The level of detail on this bike is astounding with hand built wooden rims, a custom carved Brooks saddle, and integrated racks and fenders.

Built for an avid surfer, Groovy’s Kauai custom rig was designed with racks to carry a surfboard, making a commute to the beach a breeze. The integrated racks and fenders are also removable if a day on the trails instead of the waves is in order.

The Kauai’s 1960’s “Woody” inspired wooden features were superbly executed. Builder Rody Walter partnered up with an Amish carpenter to build the unique and beautiful wooden rims. The wooden fenders were one of the few pieces that Walter did not build himself, but he did fabricate the front and rear light boxes covers.

Ken Paulson carved the bike’s saddle with a picture of the bike owner surfing.

Cykelmageren – Artisan Award

Cykelmageren’s artistic details and ingenious designs were the hit of the show with every tiny detail meticulously planned out and executed for aesthetics. Cykelmageren developed this bike specifically for the NAHBS Artisan Award category and then got the win.

Each component on the Cykelmageren road frame was hand crafted by builder Rasmus Gjesing. The brakes were built using a bandsaw rather than the more typical CNC machine process.

The shifting and brake systems were the most interesting aspect of the Cykelmageren design. A small click of the shift knob sets in motion a visible mechanism of chains and gears working together on the underside of the handlebars.

The Cykelmageren brakes work simply by squeezing and pulling back the cables for a simple yet elegant stopping system. The brake cables are strung with small nuts for added industrial character.

REPETE – Best Road Bike

REPETE Cycles won the Best Road Bike competition this year with the beautifully crafted “REborn” road frame. REPETE’s Czech frame builders Mikolas Voverka and Robin Fišer established the company just one year ago. However the frame building duo’s craftsmanship is a testament to their individual years of experience designing and building handmade bikes.

Brodie Bicycles – Best City Bike

No. 22 Bicycles – Best Cyclocross Bike

Choosing the Best Cyclocross Bike Award was one of the tougher decisions for NAHBS judges this year. Ultimately, No.22 Bicycles earned the prize with its beautifully crafted titanium Broken Arrow ‘cross bike.

When Serotta announced its unfortunate ending, No. 22 Bicycles snatched up production workers and builders from the timeless bike company. Along with these skilled workers came years of experience that was evident throughout each No. 22 bike.

Shamrock Cycles – Best Finish

Kristen Legan is a former professional triathlete and current elite-level cyclist who lives for two-wheeled adventures the world over. In 2012, Legan was one of six women to ride the entire Tour de France route as part of the women’s Rêve Tour team. Besides riding and writing about bikes, Legan is a coach with Boulder, Colorado’s APEX Coaching.

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